Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu has said that her appointment as the new Chief Medical Director of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, is a message to every girl child in Nigeria that there are no ceilings and dreams too high and distant when you strive to excel.
DAILY POST reports that she made the remarks in her inaugural speech while formally assuming office as the first female CMD of the 52-year-old Teaching Hospital on Monday, August 18, 2025, in Benin City.
Idia Ize-Iyamu, a professor of dentistry and orthodontics, also became the first dentist to hold the position.
She took over from Prof. Darlington Obaseki, whose eight-year tenure ended on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
According to her, as the first woman to serve as CMD of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, I stand not as an exception but as an example of what is possible when merit is sought and when opportunity meets with preparedness.
“I carry this responsibility as a message to every girl child in Nigeria; there are no ceilings too high, no doors too heavy, and no dreams too distant when you strive to excel.
“I bear it as a promise to my female colleagues, we will not simply pass through this door; we will hold it open. We will mentor, sponsor, and lift as we climb, so that the future leadership of our health system reflects not only the talent and tenacity already at work, but also the enduring legacy of impact and eminence we are building together”, she said.
The new CMD, however, reaffirmed that the hospital is a place where vision can find expression, diligence is rewarded, and the future will always have a seat at the table.
While describing the appointment as a “dawn of new possibilities,” she pledged to anchor her leadership on compassion, innovation, and excellence in healthcare delivery.
She also added that her vision, “UBTH CARES,” which is C for Care, A for Advancement, R for Revitalisation, E for Employee Welfare, and S for Sustainability, is an acronym that would guide her tenure.
She promised that UBTH would be a hub of innovation for medical science, and a living proof of what is possible when compassion is joined with competence, and when leadership rests on integrity.
Ize-Iyamu also pledged to strengthen health care infrastructure and improve staff welfare at the tertiary health institution in line with the President Bola Tinubu “Renewed Hope” Agenda to reposition the health sector.
She expressed her dedication to excellence and to support the national drive for equitable, cost-effective, and reliable healthcare for all Nigerians.
“I am profoundly grateful to the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the confidence reposed in me through this appointment. I pledge my total commitment to the “Renewed Hope” Agenda, particularly in the health sector, which seeks to restore faith in public institutions and deliver accessible, affordable, and of the highest standard.
“My sincere gratitude also goes to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, for his recommendation and the trust he has placed in me. Honourable Minister, I assure you of my absolute dedication to excellence and to support the national drive for equitable, cost-effective, and reliable healthcare for all Nigerians,” she stated.
